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Rep. Adrian Smith passes bill naming Lexington post office for Bill and Elsie Barrett • Nebraska Examiner

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Rep. Adrian Smith passes bill naming Lexington post office for Bill and Elsie Barrett • Nebraska Examiner


LINCOLN — Republican U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith of Gering has secured House passage of a bill to name a Lexington, Nebraska, post office for one of his predecessors, former 3rd District GOP Rep. Bill Barrett of Lexington, and Barrett’s wife, Elsie. 

Barrett, a Korean War veteran who worked for his family’s oil company, served a dozen years in the Nebraska Legislature in the 1970s and 1980s, finishing his term as speaker. He won election to Congress in 1990 and served five terms. 

A conservative on tax policy who rose through the ranks, Barrett finished his tenure as vice chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. The 3rd District is home to a large amount of Nebraska’s farm and ranch land. 

Barrett helped write and pass the Freedom to Farm Act of 1996, which eliminated federal price supports and production caps, freeing farmers to plant more of what made money but also eventually cut consumer prices. 

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Smith, in his floor speech on the post office bill, said Barrett was “known for his ability to cultivate consensus and connect with anyone,” and served as president of his freshman congressional class, a group that Smith noted included future House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. 

“Tirelessly focused on issues important to Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers, Bill’s former staff have recounted how he would always ask, “Does this help the Third District?” Smith said. “He set a lasting standard of dedicated statesmanship.”

Elsie Barrett, a Connecticut native and nurse, met Bill Barrett while he was stationed out east in the Navy. They married in 1952. She later served on the Nebraska Foster Care Review Board.

The Senate will consider its own version of the bill, co-sponsored by Nebraska U.S. Sens. Pete Ricketts and Deb Fischer.  

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Britt Prince scores 20 for No. 25 Nebraska women in 78-73 win over Indiana

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Britt Prince scores 20 for No. 25 Nebraska women in 78-73 win over Indiana


LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Britt Prince scored 20 points and Jessica Petrie added 17 for No. 25 Nebraska in a 78-73 win over Indiana on Thursday night.

Prince, who buried her 700th career point in the fourth quarter, scored 15 of her points in the second half after holding off a late surge from the Hoosiers (11-6, 0-5 Big 10) in the third quarter. Logan Nissley added 11 points.

Indiana went on a 14-1 run in the third to take the lead from Nebraska (14-2, 3-2) for the first time since the beginning of the game, leading briefly at 51-49. Indiana took a 1-point lead with 5:32 to play, but Nebraska scored 16 points over the final 6:14.

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Shay Ciezki scored 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting for Indiana, her fourth time this season scoring more than 30 points. Zania Socka-Nguemen added 19 points and 11 rebounds. Maya Makalusky had 12 points. The Hoosiers shot 51% as a team from the field compared to Nebraska’s 42%, but have dropped their fourth straight game.

Up next

Indiana: Hosts No. 14 Iowa on Sunday.

Nebraska: Hosts No. 4 UCLA on Sunday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball



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33 Nebraska senators urge Board of Regents to delay vote on $800M acquisition of Nebraska Medicine

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33 Nebraska senators urge Board of Regents to delay vote on 0M acquisition of Nebraska Medicine


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Thirty-two Nebraska state senators joined Sen. Brad von Gillern’s letter calling on the Nebraska Board of Regents to delay a vote on the proposed $800 million acquisition of Nebraska Medicine.

The letter, dated Thursday and bearing a total of 33 signatures from state senators, shared concerns about the proposed acquisition, including the lack of transparency to the public and the Legislature.

According to the letter, the regents’ Jan. 9 meeting agenda item summary indicates that the Board has “negotiated the final agreement over a series of meetings in the past 18 months”.

The regents will consider a proposal in which Clarkson Regional Health Services would give up its 50% membership in Nebraska Medicine. The deal would give full control of the health system to the University of Nebraska.

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However, the letter said the public and Legislature have had little time to understand the proposal, its impact and any financial implications of the transaction.

“The University of Nebraska and Nebraska Medicine are two institutions of tremendous significance to our state, and any major changes to the existing structures must be carefully considered,” the letter stated.

Senators are asking the Board to delay the vote to “ensure all viable alternatives have been considered and until all stakeholders understand the impact of the proposal for the state” and the two institutions.

The Board of Regents meeting, previously set for Friday, will now be held Thursday, Jan. 15 at 9 a.m.

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Pillen labels actions “destructive partisanship” as senator responds

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Pillen labels actions “destructive partisanship” as senator responds


A political dispute broke out on the first day of Nebraska’s legislative session after Governor Jim Pillen accused State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh of removing portraits from the capitol walls. Cavanaugh says she was following building rules and denies the move was political.



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